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On airplanes, cabin pressure changes during takeoff and landing to help passengers breathe easy at high altitudes. These changes in air pressure may make adults’ ears feel a little funny, prompting a few yawns to equalize the pressure. But for babies, kids, or anyone with a head cold, why are air pressure changes such a pain?
飞机起降期间，机舱内压力的变化有助于身处高空的乘客保持呼吸顺畅。气压的变化可能会使成年人的耳朵稍感不适，让人不由自主地打呵欠以平衡压力。但对于婴儿、小孩或感冒头痛的人来说，为何气压变化如此痛苦？

To understand why babies often cry during takeoff and landing, let’s travel to the middle ear, an air-filled cavity containing three tiny bones.
When sound waves reach the eardrum, these bones vibrate to transmit sound to nerves in the inner ear. To vibrate properly, the bones have to be surrounded by air at the same pressure as the air outside.
要了解飞机起降期间婴儿啼哭的原因，我们先来了解中耳这个包含三个软骨的充气腔。当声波到达鼓膜时，软骨震动将声音传递到内耳的神经。软骨要保持适当震动，其周围的气压必须与外界的气压保持一致。

But what happens when the air pressure changes, as it does on an airplane? Connecting the middle ear to the back of the nose and throat is a tiny tube, called the Eustachiantube. In healthy adults, the Eustachiantube opens when outside air pressure changes, allowing air to enter the middle ear and equalize the pressure. But in kids, the Eustachiantube is smaller and may not open enough to do the trick. That means there’s extra pressure on the eardrum. Ouch!!!
但是当气压变化会发生什么呢，就像在飞机上发生的一样？连接中耳、鼻后部和咽喉的是一个小管，被称为咽鼓管。对健康的成年人来说，外界气压变化时，咽鼓管打开，空气便进入中耳以平衡压力。但对于孩子来说，其咽鼓管较小，无法充分打开以应对这一过程。这就意味着他们的鼓膜要承受额外的压力。于是便发出疼痛难忍的哎呦声。

You can try to prevent earaches¹ on planes by drinking lots of fluids if you have a cold, carrying candy or gum to chew, and yawning. For babies, crying is not a bad idea–as with yawning or chewing, the physical movement around the ears, nose and throat may help open the Eustachiantube and equalize the pressure.
如果你感冒了，可以多喝饮料、吃糖果或嚼口香糖、打哈欠以防止飞机起降引起的耳痛。对婴儿来说哭未尝不是一个好主意，正如打哈欠和咀嚼，耳鼻咽周围的物理运动有助于打开咽鼓管以平衡压力。